Download 1990 app to save lives: Harsha

The 1990 Suwa Seriya pre-hospital care ambulance service is a one-of-a-kind service that started its pioneering journey in July 2016. Currently, 258 ambulances cover eight provinces in the country, and will have national coverage with the launch in the Eastern Province later this month. The fleet will then consist of 300 units. The service is offered totally free to the people of Sri Lanka. 

1990 Suwa Seriya Founder and Economic Reforms and Public Distribution Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva

1990 Suwa Seriya Chairman Dumindra Ratnayaka

1990 Suwa Seriya CEO Sohan de Silva

1990 Suwa Seriya today launched its new Emergency Dispatch Management (EDM) System, and the unique 1990 mobile app to enable faster dispatching and management of ambulance movements. The 1990 app, which is available for both Android and iOS phones and will enable persons with smartphones to call the service faster and easily by just a touch of one button. This mobile app will also capture the location of the caller more accurately, enabling the ambulance to reach the patient faster. All this is being initiated to provide the most reliable and efficient free ambulance service to Sri Lankans, even in the furthest parts of the country.

Reducing the response time through the new EDM system and the 1990 app will specifically help patients suffering cardiac arrests and stroke. It has been found through research that every minute of reduced response time increases the chances of survival by approximately 10%. Currently, the average response time for the 1990 ambulance service is 8 minutes and 23 seconds in the Western Province, and 11 minutes and 25 seconds in the rest of the country, which is comparable to or better than most developed countries.

“The introduction of the new EDM System and the 1990 app further confirms our continued commitment to save lives,” said Non-Cabinet Minister of Economic Reform and Public Distribution Dr. Harsha de Silva, the chief architect in securing this very significant project for the people of this country. He requested people with smartphones to download the app soonest.

“This service is an outright grant by the Indian Government, and we are thankful for their generosity to save the precious lives of Sri Lankan people through this service,” said Dr. de Silva. He elaborated that there are no conditions attached to this $ 22.5 million grant, as wrongly communicated by persons with vested interests. In 2018, the operations of the service was transferred to the 1990 Suwa Seriya Foundation, created by an Act of Parliament. The Foundation is totally owned by the Government of Sri Lanka, and operates under the Ministry of Economic Reforms and Public Distribution. The Board of the Foundation is appointed by the President. Currently 1,428 young Sri Lankan men and women are employed by the Foundation.

“The significance of this new system is that it makes us second to none in emergency dispatch systems anywhere in the world. It is also important to state that the development of the technology was provided free of charge, and some aspects at a nominal cost by Sri Lankan software companies,” said Suwa Seriya Foundation Board Chairman Dumindra Ratnayaka. “As at 3 May, we have answered 1,057,571 number of calls, dispatched 199,997 number of ambulances for emergencies, and have had 174,555 hospital admissions,” confirmed 1990 Suwa Seriya Ambulance Service CEO Sohan de Silva.

He went on to elaborate on the stringent parameters the staff has been trained on when treating patients. He also highlighted that strict protocols are followed when responding to emergency cases, and the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) would always contact the doctor on call at the Emergency Command and Control Centre (ECCC) after assessing the condition of the patient, prior to providing pre-hospital treatment, and that they would always act on the doctor’s advice until the patient is transported to the relevant hospital. The hospital to which the patient is taken is also decided by the doctor at the ECCC, based on the condition of the patient. He further confirmed that requests from patient’s family to take a patient to a private hospital is accommodated, in case the hospital is situated within the same district. This too would be carried out with the approval of the doctor at ECCC.

It is also significant that the doctors supporting the ECCC are seconded from the Sri Lanka Society of Critical Care and Emergency Medicine. It is important to highlight that all Police stations throughout the country are also integrated to this service.

For more details contact Gayan Chathuranga on 076 8281432.

Pix by Lasantha Kumara